Key Takeaways
- The global game industry is projected to nearly double by 2030, creating thousands of new opportunities in design, coding, art, and production.
- Vancouver Film School offers a one-year accelerated Game Design program, recognized as #1 in Canada by The Princeton Review.
- With flexible start dates, exclusive industry access, and post-graduation work opportunities in Canada, VFS is the best choice for US students ready to level up their careers.
VIDEO GAMES ARE MORE THAN JUST ENTERTAINMENT
In fact, they make up a $300+ billion global industry poised to nearly double by 2030. According to Grand View Research, the market is projected to reach $600.7 billion USD by 2030, growing at a CAGR of over 12%.
Mobile gaming continues to dominate, accounting for nearly 49% of total revenue (roughly $92.6 billion) with in-app purchases alone generating over $82 billion, a 4% year-over-year increase. High-performing titles like Monopoly GO! – which surpassed $5 billion in revenue as of 2025 – underscore the market’s monetization potential.
Beyond mobile, emerging segments like cloud gaming and extended reality (AR/VR/XR) are accelerating. The global cloud gaming market is expected to grow at a 32% CAGR, reaching over $6.8 billion by 2028, while the AR market is projected to skyrocket from $83.7 billion in 2024 to nearly $600 billion by 2030, driven by advancements in hardware and immersive content.
In short? This isn’t just growth – it’s a generational shift in how we play, build, and interact with games. And with major AAA hits like GTA VI, Elden Ring, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II launching new console generations and player expectations, demand for skilled game designers, coders, and artists is higher than ever.
WHY TRAIN IN VANCOUVER – NORTH AMERICA’S GAME DEV CAPITAL?
Vancouver is one of North America’s most powerful creative hubs, and that includes the game industry. The region is home to giants like Electronic Arts, Relic Entertainment, The Coalition, Kabam, and Blackbird Interactive, plus hundreds of indie studios working in mobile, AR/VR, and experimental games.
According to a report, Canada’s video game industry directly contributed over C$5.1 billion to GDP in 2024, supporting 34,010 full-time equivalent jobs across 821 studios nationwide.
For game creators, this translates into one thing: opportunity. And Vancouver Film School is at the center of it.
VFS Game Design students create a retail-ready game for their portfolio, many of which have won Best Student Project at the Unity Awards. VFS GAME DESIGN: THE #1 RANKED PROGRAM IN CANADA
Vancouver Film School’s Game Design program is officially ranked the #1 Game Design School in Canada by The Princeton Review. 2025 marks the fifth year that VFS has received this honor – reflecting our focus on hands-on training, deep industry alignment, and a proven track record of student success.
In just 12 months, VFS Game Design students:
- Specialize in Coding, Game Art, or Level Design
- Create a fully playable, retail ready game for their career portfolio
- Master Unreal & Unity engines, C#, Maya, Substance Painter, and game industry production pipelines
- Collaborate with multiple VFS programs including Programming for Games, Web & Mobile and Sound Design for Visual Media.
The takeaway? VFS’s industry-leading Game Design program trains aspiring game devs FASTER to fill the industry’s demand for skilled workers!
WHAT SETS VFS GAME DESIGN APART?
The VFS Advantage:
- Production-Focused Training: Learn by creating – build games from day one.
- Industry Faculty: Curriculum taught by working game devs with AAA and indie credits.
- Motion Capture Access: VFS is home to Beyond Capture Studios – a 64,000 cubic foot mocap volume used by top studios worldwide and available to students during their training.
- Powerful Alumni Network: Access an extensive network of industry connections that will help you land your first gig and continue to build throughout your career.
- Industry Partnerships: VFS’s Game Design program has forged lasting relationships with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Unity, ASUS ProArt, NVIDIA, and more.
Alumni Credits that Speak for Themselves:
- VFS alumni worked on 17 of the 20 bestselling games of 2024, including League of Legends, Elden Ring, Minecraft, and EA Sports College Football.
- At last year’s Game Awards, 206 alumni were credited on nominated or winning titles.
- VFS students have won Best Student Game at the Unity Awards 4 times (8 nominations), most recently for Meowmentum Mori.
READY TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF GAMING?
The game industry is evolving fast. From AAA to indie, mobile to VR/AR, new platforms and tools are opening up worlds of opportunity for trained creatives. If you’re ready to max out your XP, Vancouver Film School is your shortcut to AAA studios and beyond.
Start your application today and experience how one year at VFS can launch your dream career in game development.